The instant invention relates to children's board games, and more particularly to an electronic matching game for teaching memory skills to young children. The game apparatus and method of game play are based on a farm theme which requires the players to match sounds produced by disguised game pieces when the game pieces are placed in receptacles on a base assembly resembling a barn ramp.
Electronic game apparatus which produce sounds or other signals when game pieces are placed in selected locations on game boards have heretofore been known in the art. In this regard, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,762 to Schwartz, Lurito U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,550, Magara U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,650 and Kurita et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,983 represent the closest prior art to the subject matter of the present invention of which the applicant is aware. The patents to Schwartz and Lurito each disclose an electronic matching game including a base with a plurality of differently shaped receptacles formed therein, and a plurality of game pieces having complementary shapes. The receptacles have switches in their interior which are connected to a sound generating means. When the correct game piece is inserted into the corresponding receptacle on the base, the switch is closed and a sound is generated. The patent to Magara discloses a board game wherein game pieces are provided with a plurality of bumps on the bottom surface thereof. The game board has a plurality of receptacles, each having a plurality of switches. The electronic circuitry of the board can determine the identity of the game piece by the arrangement of bumps on the game piece which selectively close various ones of the switches when placed in the receptacles. In a strategy game utilizing this apparatus, the identity, or rank, of opposing player's game pieces can be determined without revealing the identity, or rank, of the game pieces to the other player during game play. The patent to Kurita discloses a toy vehicle having a chassis and a plurality of body shells. The chassis includes a plurality of switches which cooperate with sound generating circuitry to produce different siren sounds. The body shells include different arrangements of bumps which actuate the switches when mounted on the chassis. The bumps on the body shell are arranged to actuate the switches that correspond to the siren for that body shell. For example, an ambulance body shell includes an arrangement of bumps which will actuate the proper switches for producing an ambulance siren sound. While the above-noted apparatus are effective for their intended purposes, there is always a continuing need and consumer desire for new and amusing toys.
The instant invention provides an electronic matching game wherein the object of the game is to match game pieces to each other by matching the sounds produced by each game piece when the game pieces are inserted into a receptacle on a game base. More specifically, the electronic matching game includes a plurality of primary game pieces each representative of a mother farm animal, a plurality of secondary game pieces each representative of a baby farm animal which is associated with a respective one of mother farm animals, and a plurality of removable cover members for selectively disguising or concealing the identity of each of the secondary game pieces. The apparatus further includes a base assembly in the shape of a barn ramp having a first receptacle adapted to interchangeably receive one of the primary game pieces, and further having a second receptacle adapted to interchangeably receive one of the secondary game pieces. The base assembly further includes an electronic sound generation device for producing a plurality of different sounds, each sound being associated with a respective one of the primary and secondary game pieces. For example, one associated pair of the primary and secondary game pieces comprises a mother cow and a baby cow wherein there is a corresponding mother cow sound for the mother cow and a baby cow sound for the baby cow. Each of the receptacles includes a plurality of switches coupled to the sound generating device for causing the sound generating device to produce a respective sound corresponding to a respective game piece placed on the respective receptacle. Each of the game pieces includes a selectively located projection or projections for selectively engaging selected switches which correspond to the respective sound for the game piece. Accordingly, the mother cow game piece includes a projection or projections for actuating the switch or switches for the mother cow sound.
In a method of game play, the identity of each of the secondary game pieces, i.e. the baby farm animals, is concealed by placing the removable covers over the game pieces. In the preferred embodiment, the baby farm animals are mounted on bases, and the removable cover members comprise hollow cups resembling haystacks which are removably mounted onto the bases. Game play proceeds by selecting and placing one of the primary game pieces, i.e. one of the mother farm animals, into the mother farm animal receptacle on the base assembly wherein the base assembly generates the sound corresponding to the mother farm animal, randomly selecting one of the concealed secondary game pieces, i.e. baby farm animals, and placing the baby farm animal game piece into the baby farm animal receptacle on the base assembly wherein the base assembly generates a sound corresponding to the baby farm animal. The object of the game is to match the concealed baby animals to the mother animals by matching the sounds of each of the game pieces. The game can also include multiple baby animals which must be matched the mother animals. By increasing the number of baby animals to match, the difficulty of the game is increased making the game playable by older children as well.
Accordingly, among the objects of the instant invention are: the provision of an electronic matching game wherein the object of the game is to match game pieces to each other by matching the sounds produced by each game piece when the game pieces are inserted into a receptacle on a game base; the provision of an electronic matching game including a plurality of primary game pieces, a plurality of associated secondary game pieces, and means for selectively concealing the identity of the secondary game pieces, wherein the object of the game is to match the concealed secondary game pieces to the visible primary game pieces by matching the sounds of each piece; the provision of such a game wherein the primary game pieces are representative of mother farm animals and the secondary game pieces are representative of baby farm animals; the provision of such a game apparatus further including a base assembly including a sound generating device wherein the base assembly and sound generating device are adapted to generate sounds corresponding to the game pieces when the game pieces are inserted into receptacles on the base assembly; and the provision of a method of game play utilizing the game apparatus of the invention.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.